ENGIE, an international Paris-based energy company focused on transitioning energy to a low-carbon economy, is leading the way in Europe with its decision to invest nearly EUR 100 million from now to 2020 in the setup of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) stations for filling up the European fleets of trucks with natural gas and biomethane (renewable natural gas). The investment will cover the building of 30 CNG stations in France and up to nearly 70 LNG stations in several European countries.

This contribution to strengthening the LNG and CNG distribution infrastructures in Europe will rely on ENGIE’s active involvement with its customers committing to move to alternative fuels, notably the truck manufacturers as well as the national and European authorities.

Building on proven competencies and references with 15 years of operations of 140 CNG stations, mainly in France, and 4 early first LNG stations in France and the Netherlands, ENGIE (formerly GDF Suez) is accelerating the development of gas mobility in Europe for road transportation but also for shipping. Hence, ENGIE is engaged in the promotion of natural gas as a marine fuel, with an LNG bunkering vessel designed in partnership with NYK and Mitsubishi Corporation to be operational by end of 2016 in Zeebrugge, Belgium. It is also supplying LNG by truck to waterways barges on the Rhine river and it will build a fixed LNG station both for ships and trucks in the port of Antwerp, Belgium.

Gas is an enabler of energy transition for a greener mobility: CNG and LNG are proven and cost-effective solutions to reduce the emissions of pollutants and noise in usages suitable to the short, medium and long distance transport of persons and goods. In Europe, existing number of 3,000 CNG and 75 LNG filling stations is to be further expanded and ENGIE believes that gas mobility is the economic already-available solution of choice for heavy-duty vehicles, towards a greener mobility.

This new development is one step further within ENGIE’s ambition towards green mobility markets: to become a leading provider of green mobility solutions to its customers. As part of its strategy, ENGIE is globally speeding up the deployment of proven innovative solutions for its customers through investments in new technologies and global & cross-sector partnerships. Green mobility is critical for energy transition as transportation – massively depending on oil today (95%) – accounts for 22% of global CO2 emissions and more than 30% in Europe.